Into Your Arms
by AGirlNamedWhiskey
Summary: AU: While preparing for the wedding of the year, Natasha Romanoff believed that everything was slowly falling into place, but she never would have anticipated the one man she thought she had lost would come back to claim her... (Modern-Day)
1. Chapter 1

**Title**: Into Your Arms

**Author**: A Girl Named Whiskey (**Tumblr**: WickedWhiskeyGirl)

**Pairing**: Romanogers (Natasha and Steve)

**Minor Characters:** Maria Hill, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Thor Odinson and Bruce Banner

**Rated**: R for language and sexual content

**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Avengers, or any of the Marvel characters or rights to the franchise. All the rights go to Stan Lee and the incredible writers. I also do not make any profit from this story.

**Summary**: AU- _While preparing for the wedding of the year, Natasha Romanoff believed that everything was slowly falling into place, but she never would have anticipated the one man she thought she had lost would come back to claim her..._

_(Modern-Day)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

**New York City**

**2018**

"What do you think about this one?" Maria Hill asked, with an all too familiar expression on her charismatic face, while lifting two similar looking tablecloths in her hands. "Who knew that there could be more than one shade of white? What is the difference between Eggshell white and Linen White"

"These are all wrong," Natasha stated, with utter distain, as she continued to analyze the seating chart for the hundredth time that evening. "I, specifically, remember placing Aiden's Aunt Mildred away from the bar."

"Nat?" Maria called out, but was not receiving any type of answer. "Earth to Nat?"

"What are you babbling about?" Natasha asked, placing the detailed chart down in the middle of her coffee table, so she could get a better view of the damage done.

Natasha, internally, hoped that she could configure out the mess she had in front of her because she desperately needed sleep.

"Is that any way to talk to your best-friend, Ms. Romanoff?" Maria responded, with a mock hurt tone, but clearly she understood that her friend was going through the motions of any person about to make that giant leap into holy matrimony.

Maria also knew that Natasha was a pure perfectionist, so everything always had to be up to par, and the seating chart was no exception.

"I flew halfway across the globe in order to help you pull off the finishing touches to your grand wedding?"

Maria was, indeed, happy for her best friend, yet a part of her couldn't help but think that Natasha was trying a little too hard to be content with the situation of marriage.

Everyone, within their inner circle, could attest that if one person deserved happiness it was the young attorney.

Although, Aiden was the complete opposite of what Maria had envisioned for Natasha, she couldn't deny that Aiden was a decent suitor.

Maria, found it rather interesting that the only person she had ever pictured her friend marrying was a certain individual that Natasha hadn't spoken with in over three years. That same person, Natasha was trying to forget about, was the only person to ever make Nat fall down at the seams.

Maria took a step back, in order to give her friend some well needed space, so Nat could continue to evaluate which seating arrangement worked in _everyone's_ favor.

Maria reached for her half empty wine glass, and made her way towards the living room window that over looked the booming metropolis.

Maria missed the energy of being in a busy city, and even though she had built a life with her partner, Bucky Barnes, there were times when she couldn't help but yearn for the wild streets of Broadway.

Maria briefly turned her view over to her life long friend, noticing that she was still engrossed with all the last minute wedding details that she hadn't even touched her wine.

Maria remembered her friend being far more carefree a few years back.

Natasha Romanoff had once taught Maria the most important lesson in life, and that was to live your life without any regrets.

Maria's mind began to wander to a certain period when things began to shift for her dear friend. It was on this particular day that Natasha fell head over heels for one, Steve Rogers.

* * *

><p><strong>Five Years Ago…<strong>

**NYU Ice Arena**

"I still can't believe you dragged me all the way down here," Natasha responded, as she tightened her scarf around her neck, while looking over to her best friend with such distain. "I have a mid-term to study for, and a paper to finish writing about Leo Tolstoy's influence within the time period."

"Oh, come on," Maria replied, while scanning the ice rink below where two teams were currently battling it out. "I've been trying to get you to come to a game since last semester, and it's high-time you venture out of your fancy college in order to further broaden your horizon."

"Broaden my horizon?" Natasha stated, with an amused tone. "…Do you honestly believe that drinking this repulsive beer, and consuming these stale chips will make me into a highly evolved individual?"

"That's not what I meant," Maria argued, while still looking at the game that was actively taking place just a few feet away. "I just thought it would be nice to do something different."

Maria knew that she was taking a huge gamble, coercing Nat to attend the first game of the NYU hockey season, but it was a risk she was willing to make.

Maria didn't want to discuss the real reason for wanting to attend the game, especially since the reason for wanting to attend had just scored a goal.

"What's that suppose to mean?" Natasha asked, as she rolled her eyes, for she wasn't in the mood to argue with her friend.

Natasha was going through a lot within her life. She tried to effortlessly balance her demanding school schedule, her hectic internship, and meticulously working through her family issues.

It was sometimes hard to just relax when one feels like the weight of the world is looming over their shoulders.

The young law student knew that her friend was only trying to break her out of her comfort zone, but there were days when all Natasha wanted was to curl up in her dorm room with a book and a cup of coffee.

"I'm sorry, Maria," Natasha apologized, with a sincere tone as she was standing up from her seat. "I should really be heading out. I know, for a fact, that I'm not very good company today."

Natasha was turning to walk down the crowded aisle when she heard a loud slam that originated down in the rink.

Natasha turned her attention towards the commotion, quickly noticing the referee breaking up the minor quarrel between two rival team members.

Natasha, for the life of her, couldn't begin to understand this Neanderthal sport that her best friend enjoyed watching, but there was something interesting about one of the players that caught her attention.

It was odd because Natasha couldn't distinguish anything definitive about the player below.

The buzzer rang announcing an intermission, Natasha assumed, but just as she was about to step out into the exit aisle she glanced one last time down towards the players in the rink below.

The mystery player had briefly taken off his helmet, while nonchalantly skating towards his fellow teammates. The broad-shouldered hockey player coolly looked up, and caught sight of Natasha standing in the middle of the aisle…looking back at him.

A mere fragment of Natasha wanted to turn away, in order to finally leave the freezing arena, but there was an even bigger part of her that forced her to continue to look upon the muscular player.

It was then that Natasha noticed that this captivating player had the most intense blue eyes she had ever seen.

The hockey player was the first to break the staring contest between them, so that he could listen carefully to his coach's instructions.

Natasha then noticed that the back of the, broad-shouldered, player's jersey had his last name written in bold letters spelling out, _Rogers_.

It seemed that even though the teams, highly stressed, coach continued to yell at his players; Rogers managed to sneak a few glances toward Natasha.

Natasha looked towards the exit door, that was located only a few feet away, but her legs refused to move.

Natasha kept hearing her logical side telling her to head home, but then, as she was about to make her first step towards the exit, she found herself thinking back to some excellent advice her mother once bestowed to her.

"_A little trouble never hurt anybody, Nat…Sometimes you need to let yourself go in order to find what you are looking for_," Natasha, could clearly hear her mom in the back of her mind, and without further pause she began making her way back to her uncomfortable, cold seat.

"I thought you were done for the day?" Maria stated, with a smirk as she noticed an unusual expression written across her friend's face.

"What can I say?" Natasha stated, while glancing towards the group of hockey players still reviewing the next play with their coach. "It felt wrong leaving when things were slowly getting interesting."

"I see," Maria answered, back with curiosity resonating within her expression, but decided to not push when her friend was clearly not willing to share.

**Three Hours Later…**

"_So_…what did you think?" Maria asked, as they were making their way out of the arena.

Natasha had to admit that she truly enjoyed herself, and she knew that it was partly because of the attractive distraction that dominated most of the game.

Natasha was rather impressed by her broad-shouldered stranger. However, she understood that nothing would ever become of it because with Natasha's luck this handsome stranger was probably already in a committed relationship or completely insane.

"It was…_alright_," Natasha stated, with a mischievous grin, as she noticed the appalled expression on Maria's face. "Don't look now but the guy you've been lusting after is coolly making his way towards us."

"What?!" Maria uttered, in a somewhat panicked tone. "I have not been lusting after… Bucky."

"Did I just hear my name?" James "Bucky" Barnes greeted, while giving Maria his signature smile. Everyone knew that Bucky's smirks usually had Maria reeling for hours.

"No," Maria quickly stated, before Natasha could object, Maria gave her friend a stern look in order to make sure her friend was on her best behavior. Natasha knew better than to mess with Maria when she gave her the infamous _death stare_. "Great game."

"Thanks," Bucky replied, with a genuine smile. "I'm really glad you were able to make it…I know how busy you are."

"Believe me, Maria cleared her entire schedule just so she could make this very game," Natasha answered with a sardonic smile. "Isn't that right, Maria?"

"Well…sort of," Maria responded knowing, fully well, that she was going to have a serious conversation with her oldest friend later. "You were all…_really_…great out there."

"It was definitely a team effort, but we couldn't have done it with our new right defensemen," Bucky replied, while holding his bag tightly within his hand. "He just transferred a few months ago from Ohio State."

Natasha was about to excuse herself, for clearly it was obvious that the two people standing in front of her were having somewhat of a moment, when Bucky began calling out to someone in the crowd.

"Speak of the devil," Bucky, called out with a smirk. "The man of the hour."

Natasha was rummaging through her messenger bag ready to retrieve her dorm room keys, to have on hand during her walk back, when she looked up to see her blue-eyed stranger standing before her.

For a mere second Natasha couldn't tell if the noise level had dissipated, or if her heart rapidly beating out of her chest was the reason she wasn't able to hear anything around her.

Natasha quickly realized that Bucky was introducing Maria to the newly transferred student, but then the stranger's eyes became focused on solely Natasha.

"Hello," Natasha casually greeted, while trying to not look so awkward, but it seemed as if this attractive stranger was trying to do the same thing.

"Hi," The stranger greeted, with a contagious smile spreading across his face, while extending his hand towards Natasha. "Steve."

"Natasha," Nat replied, in an almost faint whisper, while placing her slender hand within the larger one in front of her. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Steve stated, not caring that his teammate, and new acquaintance were giving them perplexed looks.

* * *

><p><strong>Present Time…<strong>

Maria stood by the window playing out that faithful day in her mind knowing that she had witnessed a classic case of…_love at first sight_.

Maria knew that Nat would, certainly, deny it all, for discussing her past relationship was never an easy task. Natasha tried, in vein, to pick up the pieces…but many knew that her heart was still very much broken.

Maria even recalled a day, not too long ago, when Clint Barton, Nat's business partner, mentioned that ever since the break-up neither Nat nor Steve were ever the same.

The break-up took a huge toll on both parties, and there was a period when Maria thought Natasha would never get over it…but somehow Nat managed to start again.

Maria wasn't blind nor was naive, for she recognized that deep down no one could ever compete with the man who captivated Nat's heart all those years ago.

"Do you have any?" Maria asked, in a rather cryptic manner.

"Huh?" Nat muttered, while trying to decipher her assistance handwriting. "Do I have any what?"

"Regrets," Maria responded, with little room for questions, or interpretation.

"I think everyone does," Nat, replied with a shrug. "I'm sure you have your own set of regrets you wished you could rectify."

"That wasn't my question," Maria stated, understanding that adverting questions was Natasha's way of blocking out her true feelings, so she wouldn't be able to let her guard down.

"Maria, I don't have time for these silly inquiries," Natasha stated, as she quickly turned back to her checklist. "Can you cross reference the seating chart with the guests that have already RSVP'd? I need to call my step-mother to verify their flight itinerary for next week."

"Not a problem," Maria answered back while casually reaching for the stack of cards. "I'm here to assist you, remember?"

"You know that I wouldn't be able to do this without you," Natasha responded sincerely. "I hope you know that."

"You don't need to thank me, Nat," Maria answered back. "You are the closest thing I have to a sister."

"You have a sister," Natasha responded with confusion.

"Well…She's more of an adversary rather than actual family," Maria corrected, with humor in her light tone. "Go, call your step-mother. I'll take over from here."

"You are the best," Natasha replied, making her way to the master bedroom. "If you come across a discrepancy, you can reach Imogen and then she'll handle it."

"Imogen Sanders, the infamous wedding planner," Maria joked, but noticed that Natasha was already within the confines of her bedroom.

Maria didn't know if it was the alcohol that was clouding her sudden judgment, or the nostalgia in the air, but clearly something was causing her to pick up her cell-phone in order to speak with the eccentric, Imogen Sanders.

"Sanders," Imogen greeted, after only two short rings. "How may I be of assistance?"

"Imogen, it's Maria Hill," Maria announced, through her phone receiver, hoping that her current actions wouldn't come back to bite her. "We've met briefly last week, I'm Natasha Romanoff's maid of honor."

"Yes, of course," Imogen replied, with a hint of excitement within her steady tone. "How may I assist you this evening, Ms. Hill?"

"Well, I was looking through the seating list, and I noticed there was an invitation that was never mailed out," Maria stated, trying her best not to sound suspiciously off. "Is it still possible to mail an additional invitation for the weekend activities, and the wedding to this person?"

"Of course," Imogen stated, and it sounded as if she was rummaging through her house in order to retrieve a piece of paper and pen, so she could jot the information down. "I'm sure that Ms. Romanoff would hate to not have this guest present."

"I agree," Maria stated, understanding that in order to achieve a desired result, one must take the necessary precautions…even if you are truly playing with fire.

"So…who were we missing?" Imogen asked, in an annoying chipper voice. "An old friend from college?"

"I guess you can say that," Maria answered, knowing there was no turning back now. "His name is Steve…_Steve Rogers_."

**TBC**…

* * *

><p><em><strong>Authors Notes:<strong>_

_Hi Everyone! Please, be gentle this is my first Romanogers / Avengers fan fiction. I literally couldn't sleep because some of these scenes kept plaguing me, so I knew that I had to write them all down._

_I hope you'll let me know your thoughts on it, and whether or not I should continue. I know that there are a lot of questions in the air, but I'm hoping you've enjoyed this small portion, lol!_

_Sending off tons of love!_

_Whiskey_


	2. Chapter 2

**Title**: Into Your Arms

**Author**: A Girl Named Whiskey (**Tumblr**: Wickedwhiskeygirl)

**Pairing**: Romanogers (Natasha and Steve)

**Minor Characters**: Maria Hill, Tony Stark, Pepper Potts, Phil Coulson, Clint Barton, Thor Odinson and Bruce Banner

**Rated**: R for language and sexual content

**Disclaimer**: I do not own The Avengers, or any of the Marvel characters or rights to the franchise. All the rights go to Stan Lee and the incredible writers. I also do not make any profit from this story.

**Summary**: AU- _While preparing for the wedding of the year, Natasha Romanoff believed that everything was slowly falling into place, but she never would have anticipated the one man she thought she had lost would come back to claim her..._

_(Modern-Day)_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

"_Sanders," Imogen greeted, after only two short rings. "How may I be of assistance?"_

"_Imogen, it's Maria Hill," Maria announced, through her phone receiver, hoping that her current actions wouldn't come back to bite her. "We've met briefly last week, I'm Natasha Romanoff's maid of honor." _

"_Yes, of course," Imogen replied, with a hint of excitement within her steady tone. "How may I assist you this evening, Ms. Hill?"_

"_Well, I was looking through the seating list, and I noticed there was an invitation that was never mailed out," Maria stated, trying her best not to sound suspiciously off. "Is it still possible to mail an additional invitation for the weekend activities, and the wedding to this person?"_

"_Of course," Imogen stated, and it sounded as if she was rummaging through her house in order to retrieve a piece of paper and pen, so she could jot the information down. "I'm sure that Ms. Romanoff would hate to not have this guest present."_

"_I agree," Maria stated, understanding that in order to achieve a desired result, one must take the necessary precautions…even if you are truly playing with fire._

"_So…who were we missing?" Imogen asked, in an annoying chipper voice. "An old friend from college?"_

"_I guess you can say that," Maria answered, knowing there was no turning back now. "His name is Steve…Steve Rogers."_

* * *

><p><strong>Continued…<strong>

**New York**

**Edison's Cafe**

**Five Years Ago…**

"And that's how my father was able to start his multi-million dollar company," the taller male, with bottled blonde hair, in front of Natasha gushed.

"Riveting," Natasha stated with little to no emotion.

She continued to sip her cup of coffee hoping that that the server would quickly bring the check, so she could finally head back to her dorm-room.

Natasha already knew that once she got back to her dorm-room she would need to have a serious chat with her roommate, Jane Foster.

Jane was a sweet girl from a small town in New Mexico, with high ambitions of becoming a world-renowned astrophysicist.

The only issue was that her lovely-_yet_ naïve friend kept trying to set her up on the weirdest blind dates with some of her science lab partners.

The last time she reluctantly agreed to a date, Natasha ended up throwing her ice-coffee at her dates face for his constant indecent innuendo's that made her uncomfortable.

This time around Jane was crafty enough to tell Natasha that they were going to grab coffee, and somehow Jane's new lab partner was already there waiting for them at the cafe.

Natasha truly wished that her friend would give up on trying to find her someone.

Natasha wasn't looking for anyone…_especially_ when she only had one person in particular on her mind.

Since that faithful hockey game she couldn't get one, Steve Rogers, out of her frantic mind. Natasha knew that constantly thinking about the blue-eyed athlete was something she didn't have the time for.

"Natasha?" Jane responded, with a small nudge, since she noticed that her friend wasn't paying any attention to Gregory.

"I'm sorry," Natasha stated abruptly, as she was pulled from her thoughts. "What were you saying?"

"Gregory, just stated how much fun he's had, and if you would like to grab coffee with him later on this week?" Jane restated, giving her friend a confused expression.

Natasha glanced over at Gregory, as he continued to leer at her.

"I'm sorry…this week's really going to be difficult," Natasha stated, with fake remorse that only Jane could pick up on. "My internship has become quite brutal, and I only have a few minutes to myself."

"Okay…that's alright," Gregory stated, with obvious disappointment within his eyes. "Maybe some other time?"

"Definitely," Natasha stated, as she began saying goodbye to the science student.

Natasha and Jane began to make their way out of the café, when Jane pinched Natasha's exposed arm.

"Ouch," Natasha cried out, with obvious confusion. "What the hell was that for?"

"You know exactly why," Jane stated, once they were outside of the café.

The cold autumn weather was taking over the city, and it was during this time of year that Natasha began to miss her family.

Natasha's father was a respected diplomat who served his county for many years, and still believes in citizens' responsibility to their nation. Natasha's father was constantly pushing her towards becoming an incredible lawyer.

Natasha, _at times_, began to wonder if becoming an attorney was her dream or her fathers…

"I'm the one that should be upset," Natasha began to clarify. "I can't even grab an ice-coffee without you throwing one of your lab co-workers at me."

"Correction, I'm not throwing them at you," Jane stated, with a horrified expression on her face, as she fixed her scarf. "I'm simply trying to find you someone with mutual compatibility."

"Fine, you're casually luring these suitors towards me," Natasha answered, clearly not gaining any brownie points with her roommate.

"I'm not luring anyone!" Jane cried out. "I'm just worried about you, Nat."

"Why?" Natasha inquired, with a shrug. "I'm not a afraid of being alone."

"I just see you constantly working, with little time to yourself," Jane explained, with concern. "You're spending so much time behind those four-walls of your internships that I'm worried you're becoming a hermit."

"I'm not sure if I could even be a hermit," Natasha clarified. "Are they able to consume alcohol?"

"I believe so," Jane answered, with clear confusion written across her face. "Hermits usually don't take a vow that abstains from alcohol consumption."

"So, I guess being a hermit wouldn't be so bad," Natasha joked.

"This isn't a joke, Nat," Jane stated, trying to hail a cab. "You really don't want to end up like my Aunt Mallory, who's a cynical spinster."

"I love your Aunt Mallory," Natasha corrected, with a smirk. "The woman is a remarkable revolutionary within the art world. She drinks like a harlot and swears like a sailor. I think she's my idol."

"Enough," Jane stated, as she finally was able to grab a cab. "Let's do something tonight."

"Tonight?" Natasha repeated, with perplexity. "We just had awful coffee."

"Let's go to that new club Darcy's working at," Jane responded with tremendous enthusiasm. "It will be fun."

"Define…_fun_," Natasha asked, as they both settled into the taxicab.

"You know…dancing, drinks and laughs," Jane explained, as if her option was a no-brainer. "Picture our freshman year…only we are legal to drink now."

"We did have lot of fun," Natasha stated, giving her friend a nod in response.

"You won't regret it," Jane stated, as she began giving the taxicab driver directions to their next destination.

"Well, see about that," Natasha whispered under her breath, as she began to see the wondrous lights of the big city.

Natasha marveled at the vast city that she adorned, for in every corner there was some form of excitement. She just wished she didn't feel so trapped within her own life.

It seemed that everyone had high expectations of the woman she was to become. The only issue with that was that she was still trying to figure out her place within this complex world.

Natasha Romanoff simply wished to turn-off her frustrations, and enjoy the present time. Soon she would have to deal with the harsh reality of the world once she graduated.

* * *

><p><strong>Two Hours Later<strong>

**Jarvis's Gin-Joint**

"I want to go home," Natasha responded, through the loud booming music that covered the nightclub.

Natasha and Jane had to stand in-line outside of the club for thirty minutes, because they couldn't get a hold of neither Pepper nor Darcy. They then had to wait an additional fifteen minutes in order to locate a decent table.

Two drinks later and Natasha was truly regretting this evening.

"Are you kidding me?" Jane inquired, as she looked around the congested room. "This place is amazing."

"I hate that you are so optimistic," Natasha replied, through the _Maroon 5_ lyrics blaring in the background.

"I'll be right back," Jane stated, as she grabbed Natasha's empty glass. "I'm getting you a refill, and then we are hitting the dance floor."

"I'm going to check out that vintage jukebox record player in the corner," Natasha stated, making her way through the vast group of people. The room's lights were dimmed with colorful spotlights shifting throughout the room.

Natasha reached the old vintage jukebox, and was impressed by the enormous collection of records from various genera's. Natasha finally made her selection when she felt the presence of someone standing directly behind her.

"Nice," the male voice stated behind her.

Natasha took a quick glimpse when she noticed that the tall man with leering eyes wasn't referring to her song choice, but her body's frame.

Natasha rolled her eyes, and turned her attention back to the jukebox player. However, the man standing behind her wasn't taking the hint that she was uninterested in his company.

"You look familiar," the stranger stated, in a manner that made Natasha cringe.

"I doubt that," Natasha stated, knowing that if the stranger got any closer she would have to use her trusty pepper-spray that Darcy gave her last Christmas.

"Believe me, I wouldn't forget a…_face_…like yours," the man stated, as he stood a bit closer to Natasha. "Can I buy you a drink?"

"No," Natasha flatly stated, still looking through the songs listed in front of her.

"Really? You're going to say no?" The man stated with apprehension in her cocky tone.

"I don't remember stuttering," Natasha remarked firmly, ready to send this idiot away when he stood a few steps closer, suavely uttering his next words.

"I think I _know_ exactly what you need," The eerie stranger replied, with a smirk.

"And I hardly believe you're the man that can give _it_ to me," Natasha replied back with a cold tone.

It was then that the stranger's hand began to reach for Natasha's lower back. Before the man's hands reached Natasha's body, a firm voice called out from behind them.

"_Hands off_."

Natasha turned to see the mysterious hockey player, Steve Rogers, approaching them.

Natasha had to quickly take a moment to make sure that all this wasn't a figment of her imagination, and that the blue-eyed man she had been thinking about for the pass few days was actually in front of her.

"Who the hell are you?" The cocky stranger asked with confusion, as he tore his gaze from Natasha towards Steve.

"I'm just a guy telling you to get lost," Steve answered back. "It's clear that you're having a hard time listening to what she's saying."

"This really has nothing to do with you," The angry stranger shot back.

"Well…I'm making it my business," Steve replied, as he looked back at the cocky stranger with a challenging stare.

"Really?" The man replied with an obvious sardonic smile.

"The way I see it you have two choices here…you can leave with both your balls and dignity intact," Steve explained, calmly trying to remain cool with the gorgeous girl he had meet days ago, who was staring right at him as he spoke with this aggressor. "Or I'll make sure to embarrass the hell out of you to the extent that you'll have to sleaze your way into another bar to get laid."

The eerie stranger looked back at the redhead he had been coming on to earlier and then back at Steve.

The stranger merely nodded, and made his way towards the other side of the crowded room.

Steve quietly observed until the angry man disappeared into the crowd before facing the redhead who was looking directly at him.

Steve simply nodded towards Natasha, and just as he was about to leave he heard the fiery redhead addressing him.

"That's it?" Natasha inquired.

"Pardon?" Steve asked as he turned, completely surprised that Natasha was even acknowledging him.

"So… your whole intention was to just help ward off that idiot, and just walk away?

"Um," Steve stuttered. "I-"

"You didn't give me a chance to say _thank you_."

"I-um," Steve once again muttered.

"You were seriously much more vocal with that jerk," Nat answered, with a smirk, while looking over Steve's confused features.

"Um..._sorry_," Steve replied, as he was already cursing at his lack of people skills.

"Don't be," Natasha replied with a smile as she motioned to the bar. "The least I can do is buy you a drink."

"I was just leaving," Steve answered lamely, as he looked over Natasha's flawless features.

"Come-on," Natasha remarked, with an evil grin spread across her face. "I promise I won't bite."

"Alright," Steve answered, with a casual nod. "One drink."

"Okay," Nat smiled, as they both found two open seats at the crowded bar.

Natasha quickly scanned the room to see if she could track Jane within the crowded room.

"What's your poison," Natasha asked Steve before ordering her drink.

"Whatever you're having?"

"Two whiskey-sours," Natasha responded, to the female bartender.

Natasha turned her gaze back over, and noticed an impressed look written on Steve's face.

"What?"

"Nothing," Steve quickly stated, trying to hide his smile.

"Tell me," Natasha requested, as she carefully gazed towards the ashy-blonde athlete sitting next to her.

"You don't seem like a hard liquor kind of girl," Steve replied, with a hint of appreciation in his tone.

"What did you expect?" Natasha inquired, with a raised eyebrow. "Apple martini?"

"Maybe," Steve answered back truthfully.

"I can get you an apple martini," The redhead replied, with a mixture of humor and sarcasm. "I'll even have them throw in a colorful mini umbrella…if that's what you were expecting."

"I'm good with the whiskey…it's just not what I expected," Steve answered honestly.

"Looks can be deceiving," Natasha replied, as she sipped her drink that finally arrived.

"So…you come here often?" Steve asked, already feeling like a fool with absolutely no suave or charisma in his manner.

"Never," Nat answered, as she noticed Steve's nervous demeanor. "You?"

"Sometimes, my roommates father owns the nightclub, so he's always dragging me here," Steve answered, as he sipped his drink letting the substance burn his throat as it coolly went down.

"I wasn't expecting for there to be so many people," Natasha stated, as her eyes scanned the room, when she noticed Jane sitting at their previous table with Darcy.

They were both giving her two thumbs up, as the motioned towards Steve. Natasha rolled her eyes, hoping Steve didn't catch her friends' odd behavior.

"It's the only bar within a fifty mile radius that's not a complete dive," Steve answered with a shrug.

"The music is decent," Natasha answered, as she looked towards the dance floor. "I was looking through the songs in that old jukebox when that poor excuse of a specimen decided to harass me. I think he wanted to show me _his_ music box."

"I'm guessing there was a double meaning in there," Steve replied, with a chuckle at the stranger's choice of a come on.

"You're correct."

"Sorry about that," Steve stated.

"Don't be," Natasha stated as she looked over at Steve. "…but just so you know, I could have handled it."

"I have no doubt about that," Steve answered, with a sincere smile. "I haven't seen you around campus, do you go to NYU?"

"No, I'm actually attending Columbia Law School," Natasha answered, placing her empty glass down.

"Impressive," Steve responded sincerely.

"What about you?" Natasha inquired, turning her gaze over to the blue-eyed man.

"I just transferred from Ohio State on a hockey scholarship," Steve answered. "Most of my studies fall under the department of History, so I'm trying to figure out if I'm going to pursue a career in that field. Photography is my real passion. What about you?"

"What about me?" Natasha asked, curiously.

"Did you always want to be a lawyer?"

"No," Natasha stated, since she was still trying to figure out where the law played into her future. "It's all very complicated."

"I see," Steve answered, with a knowing nod.

"I should go," Natasha stated, slowly standing up from the bar stood. "My friends are probably waiting for me…it was good seeing you again, Steve."

"Likewise," Steve answered back, as he observed the redhead. "Um…what are your plans tomorrow morning…like around 7:30am."

"I usually take a walk through Central Park before heading to class," Natasha answered, with confusion written across her serene features. "Why?"

"It just so happens that the team usually does drills around Central Park in the mornings," Steve stated, as if it was a great coincidence. However, Natasha knew perfectly well that she'd never seen the NYU team preforming drills during her time out there.

"Isn't that interesting," Natasha answered, with a growing grin.

"Maybe, we can grab a cup of coffee before your first class?"

"Maybe," Natasha stated, with a nod.

"I can live with a maybe," Steve answered, with a smile of his own. "Goodnight, Natasha."

"Night, Steve."

* * *

><p><strong>**Present Day**<strong>

**New York City, Central Park**

Natasha was sitting in her usual spot by an old oak tree, in the middle of Central Park, watching as the world went by. She knew she should be at work, preparing for the pending quarterly meeting or contacting Imogen Sanders about the last minute preparations for the wedding…but a part of her couldn't leave that very spot.

In that spot, five years ago, she knew that her life would never be the same. It was in that very seat where she knew that her heart was slowly belonging to one, Steve Rogers.

It had been three years since she had seen or even spoken with him. In the wake of his absence she honestly felt nothing but…_hollowness_.

It was like a huge piece of her was missing.

Natasha glanced down at the wooden bench's empty space that was located beside her, and began to trace the old worn-out letters that were carved.

"**S.R**." Natasha whispered out loud, as her fingers then traced the craved heart, while slowly moving on to the next initials. "**N.R**."

Her favorite wooden bench held their initials with a small memory of the love they shared.

A love that she could never erase nor replace…

To the outside world she seemed brave, but on the inside she was a scared woman with a broken heart.

* * *

><p><strong>Flashback<strong>

**Five Years Ago**

**Central Park**

"This is ridiculous," Natasha muttered under her breath, as she found herself walking through the lush landscape of Central Park. "This isn't part of the plan."

Natasha had a five-year plan, and dating wasn't considered a high priority.

"_This isn't a date_," Natasha thought to herself. "_It's merely a cup of coffee…he might not even show up._"

Natasha tightened her hold on her messenger bag, and found her way towards her favorite place within the lush park.

The cool wind was roughly picking up, but she loved the cold weather.

The steady autumn wind was causing the colorful leaves to cover the ground. Natasha decided to take a few minutes to look over the small sketch she created during her Constitutional Law lecture.

Natasha uncovered her sketchpad from her bag, and began to look over the rough sketch. She steadily began to shade the sides of the drawing of the cherry blossom tree she loved since her childhood.

Natasha was deep within her sketch that she hadn't noticed that Steve casually sat next to her with two cups of coffee in his hands. Natasha began to notice the rich aroma of hazelnut, and turned her gaze to Steve who was looking down at her sketch.

"How long have you been sitting there?" Natasha inquired, as she reached for the second cup of coffee in Steve's hand.

"Long enough to know that you're very good," Steve stated, motioning to the draft. "How long have you been an artist?"

"I don't really consider myself an artist," Natasha remarked, placing her pencil away. "I've seen much better."

"Don't sell yourself short," Steve answered. "It's remarkable the way the shading captures the vitality of the cherry blossoms, and even though there's no color you can still feel the warmth of it."

Natasha sat quietly listening to Steve, hoping he didn't notice that she was hanging on every word that escaped his mouth.

"You want it?" Natasha joked.

"Absolutely," Steve answered, with sincerity. "As long as you sign it. People are going to want to know the name of artist."

"I'm sure," Natasha answered sarcastically. " You're not in your workout gear…I thought the team was running drills."

"Um…Drills were cancelled today," Steve stated, knowing that Natasha was seeing through his bullshit.

She knew that he was there to see her and nothing else.

Natasha began to scribble something on the sketches lower side, and then folding the paper.

"I shouldn't be keeping you," Natasha stated, but not wanting to leave. "Thank you for the coffee."

"Anytime," Steve answered back. "Is there a chance you might be here again tomorrow?"

"Maybe," Natasha stated, with a small smile forming on her crimson lips.

"I can live with a maybe," Steve answered, with a nod, as he watched the slender girl making her way down the long pathway through the glorious park.

Steve soon glanced at the sketch, and noticed a few numbers located at the bottom right-hand corner of the page.

Steve smiled at the sight of Natasha's number neatly written.

**End Flashback**

* * *

><p><strong>**Present Time**<strong>

_Chicago, Illinois _

"Where are the prints for the Buchannan portfolio?" Steve stated, to no one in particular. "We need to finalize the layout for that annual report."

"There on your desk with some correspondence that came in yesterday," Sharon, Steve's assistant, stated through the throng of employees she was giving orders to. "You're scheduled to shoot a spread at Mid-Town at noon. Bucky's already at the site making sure that everything runs smoothly."

"Alright," Steve stated, closing the door to his office.

Steve missed the days where he use to shoot random photographs through the off-beat streets of New York, but his craft was indeed paying the bills.

Steve began preparing his camera equipment, when he noticed a small white envelope addressed to him on his desk.

He casually ripped the envelope open, and felt his heart stop the moment his eyes noticed that is was a wedding invitation.

"…_You are cordially invited to the wedding of Natasha Alianovna Romanoff…"_

**TBC…**

* * *

><p><em>Hi Everyone,<em>

_Thank you so much for all your reviews! They definitely motivated me to produce this new chapter. Hope you've enjoyed it, and please let me know your thoughts!_

_Hugs_

_Whiskey_


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